Sweet Appletini Dreams
by Gabrielle MB
Summary: A drunk JD needs a place to stay for the night. CoxJD hints.


**author:** Gabrielle MB  
**fandom:** Scrubs (Not mine! Belongs to Touchstone, Buena Vista and Bill Lawrence. I'm not making any money.)  
**warnings:** Some silly, fluffy Cox/JD hints. A bit OOC, maybe?  
**notes:** For the fanfic100 challenge on LJ. The prompt is 060: Drink.

**Sweet Appletini Dreams**

The world was full of pretty colors and swirly shapes to JD's very, very drunk eyes. Not that his eyes were drunk, he corrected himself, giggling. JD was pretty sure he'd just had one appletini too many at their regular hangout, which explained the bright green stains on his shirtfront.

("Oops," he'd said, trying for a suitably contrite expression after he realized he had been hitting on a _man_ for the past five minutes. Unfortunately said man had dumped JD's last appletini over his head. It tasted yummy even when dripping from the tip of his nose, but it was really sticky.)

JD stumbled along an empty corridor, bumping into the white walls. He felt like singing showtunes at the top of his voice, because wasn't that what the manliest of men did when _extremely_ drunk? JD frowned at himself, stopping for a while to sway in place while he pondered this. He was pretty sure he'd never heard Turk sing any kind of showtunes in public. There had been that one incident in the shower, though...

A door banged somewhere in the apartment building. JD startled, leaping backwards and bringing his hands up in a smooth kung fu move. Too bad he landed badly on his ankle and ended up falling on his butt. JD considered whimpering like a girly man, but before he could really decide one way or another, the door right in front of him swung open.

A huge, hulking shape snarled at him from the doorway, its features cloaked in darkness. JD screamed. The creature backed up a step, then reached out a hand to flick on the lights in the hallway. JD didn't dare even peek at the monster from where he was hiding behind his hands. JD heard a shuffle, a rustle, and then Dr. Cox's voice hissed out angry words. JD tilted his head to the side, listening to the sleepy rasp. He didn't dare lower his hands yet, just in case the monster was trying to lull him into a false sense of security before eating him up in two big bites.

"...and for God's sake, Miranda. If you don't look me in the eye right now and tell me what the hell you're doing outside my door at three in the morning, I _swear_ I will chuck you out the window in nothing but your skimpy little panties," the monster masquerading as Dr. Cox said. JD peeked up from between his fingers and smiled, relieved. It really was Dr. Cox.

Then JD got distracted by the shiny bare chest not that far from his own scrawny, appletini-stained one. His eyes roamed over muscular shoulders, down to brown nipples and lower to the bulging thigh muscles of a crouching Dr. Cox. JD felt his jaw drop open a little. Dr. Cox cleared his throat, then lunged forward, big, strong hands ready to strip and toss.

JD scooted backwards quickly, ignoring the twinges of pain radiating from his ankle and tailbone. "Sorry! Sorry! I didn't mean to wake you up! Except that I did, because I have nowhere else to go and I'm actually not even wearing panties! See?" JD tried his best to open his pants, but his finger kept slipping on the button-and-zipper combo from hell.

Dr. Cox's brows furrowed under the limply hanging, messy curls of his hair. "I appreciate the honesty there, Lola. Not that many women will own up to it when they're going commando. Now, what on God's green Earth made you think I'd be willing to let you into my apartment in the middle of the night?"

JD abandoned his quest to flash Dr. Cox with his Snoopy boxers. JD frowned at the question, his mind winding down from the combined high of sugar, artificial coloring and alcohol. A dull throb started in his forehead. JD pouted a little, head tilting to the side. His hair felt all funny and crumpled. Dr. Cox snapped his fingers in JD's face.

"Concentrate, Newbie! Why are you here?" Dr. Cox's voice sounded more tired than ever before. JD finally noticed the dark smudges underneath Dr. Cox's blue eyes and felt a little bit ashamed of himself. He tried to get up from the floor, his head now aching in synch with his butt and ankle. Dr. Cox reached out a helping hand (for a moment JD flashed back to the possibility of a pod person monster biting his head off), which JD accepted. Dr. Cox's wrist felt solid and warm where JD's fingers were pressing against it.

Once JD was back on his feet, his hand still clasped in Dr. Cox's, he opened his mouth to explain how Turk and Carla had booted him out of the apartment to have a quiet evening together, and how he'd stood listening to quiet giggles and indecent smooching sounds outside Elliot's door for an hour (he decided to leave out the part where Elliot's neighbor, an older lady with perfect aim, had chased him out of the apartment building with a broom). Dr. Cox shook his head before JD could say anything.

"Forget it. I'm not interested in the least in why you decided to drown your female troubles in," and here Dr. Cox leaned forward to sniff JD's shirt, "appletinis. Really, Martina, you should at least _pretend_ you're more of a man than that, or you will, in fact, _never_ be a bride." JD couldn't answer because he was still shaking from the sudden tickle of Dr. Cox's curls against his chin and throat. Everything _tingled_.

Dr. Cox snorted at JD's dreamy expression, his mouth twisting into a wry smile for a heartbeat. He tugged at JD's hand. "Come on, Newbie. I'll give your scrawny ass shelter this one time, but so help me God, if you _ever_ tell anyone about this, I will personally make sure you won't be able to reproduce. Are we clear?" JD nodded enthusiastically, wincing as the pain in his head intensified. Dr. Cox pulled him into the apartment and closed the door.

"Sit down on the couch, Newbie. I'll get you a pillow and something for your headache," Dr. Cox said. JD stared at him with wide eyes, images of half-eaten faces dancing merrily behind his eyes. "Oh, and Lucille? If you puke _anywhere_ in this apartment..." Dr. Cox drew his finger across his throat in a quick move. JD smiled at him dorkily. With that Dr. Cox turned on his heel and marched away, his shapely butt flexing nicely. JD kept his eyes trained on it for as long as he could, because _damn_.

After Dr. Cox had disappeared into his bathroom to rattle around the cabinets, JD sat down on the comfy sofa. He rested his aching head against the back of the couch and closed his eyes. He suddenly felt all weary and sort of sad (not as sad, though, as he'd felt earlier that week when Turk had snatched the last pudding cup at lunch). JD forced one eye open when he felt the couch dip next to him. A pillow was dropped into his lap.

Dr. Cox offered up a glass of water and a white pill. "Take this and go to sleep. You can shower in the morning," Dr. Cox muttered quietly, eyes half-closed. He looked as tired and weary as JD felt. Their hands brushed when JD accepted the water and medicine. Dr. Cox leaned his arm against the back of the couch, watching JD's throat work as he downed the pill and drank the water.

JD lowered the glass and Dr. Cox plucked it from his grip, setting it down on the sofa table. For a while they sat in silence in the dark living room, watching each other quietly. JD felt like something was building between them, but couldn't pinpoint what it was. Dr. Cox was the first one to snap out of whatever daydream they'd both slipped into.

"Right," he said, pushing a hand through his curls. "I'm going to bed now. If you disturb me in the least, your ass will be out the door so fast your head will spin. We clear on that, Newbie?" Dr. Cox eyed him threateningly, his lips in a tight line. JD yawned and nodded.

"Thanks, Dr. Cox," JD whispered when the older man was already halfway across the room. Dr. Cox paused in the doorway, the naked skin of his back shining in what little moonlight filtered in through the windows. He nodded. "It's nothing, Newbie. Go to sleep. I'll wake you up in the morning."

JD curled up on the couch, squishing the pillow Dr. Cox had brought him against his chest. JD knew he was leaving sticky green stains on the white fabric of the sofa, but he didn't really care. For the first time in a while, he felt like singing silly love songs (he didn't dare, though, because Dr. Cox had bat ears and JD didn't really want to be kicked back out into the cold, cold night).

JD fell asleep to the comforting rumble of snoring emanating from Dr. Cox's bedroom.


End file.
